Time travelling archaeologist and adventurer River Song (played by Alex Kingston in audio and on BBC’s Doctor Who) returns in a complete full-cast audio drama adventure, which is free to download for a limited time. River Song has met many of the Doctor’s incarnations on screen, and even more in audio, so it was only a matter of time before she was given her own series.
In 2015, Big Finish released the first box set of “The Diary of River Song” continuing the adventures of the Doctor’s wife and Time Lady adventuress; once again portrayed by Alex Kingston. Since the beginning of the lockdown imposed by the coronavirus crisis, Big Finish has been releasing weekly FREE DOWNLOADS of audio dramas –or #lockdownloads–for a limited time. Every Monday, a new story (or episode from a box set collection) can be downloaded exclusively from the Big Finish web site’s Weekly Deals page. These stories can be unlocked by anyone who has registered for a Big Finish account (which is free to create) and played on the Big Finish listening app (which is free to install). Each story will be available for one week only, and comes accompanied by a special discount offer on related titles.
The Diary of River Song – Five Twenty-Nine, by John Dorney
Starring Alex Kingston, with a tremendous supporting cast, including Robert Pugh, Ann Bell and Aaron Neil, “The Diary of River Song – Five Twenty-Nine” also features a guest role for Salome Haertel, otherwise known as the leading lady’s real-life offspring. This is this week’s free title.
River has made a terrible discovery. Billions of lives hang in the balance. If she can save just a few, then it might just help her solve the conundrum of Earth’s destruction. But.. how can she win when survival becomes a race against time itself? A race against Five Twenty-Nine?
Alex Kingston said:
“Working with Salome was such a treat. I saw her do a play, a production of Troilus and Cressida, in Los Angeles, so I know she can act. I know she’s got those chops. I think she did very well. I was really impressed actually. I was in my booth watching her through the glass and she was like a pro.”
Writer John Dorney said:
“I was given the brief of a quiet apocalypse, and to have a specific character for Alex Kingston’s daughter. We had a strong idea of what we wanted that part to be, but I was left to come up with what I wanted. What I found interesting was we tend to see a different side of River when she’s with the Doctor, being more flirtatious, but here she can be slightly more serious, although the flirting side of her does turn up occasionally. In this case, there weren’t many chances for her to be as upbeat as normal, and it’s interesting to see how the character reacts in quite a serious situation.”
Listeners can download this story FREE from now until 23:59 (UK time) 28 June 2020 at the Big Finish website. For a limited time, Big Finish listeners can also download the complete box sets of “The Diary of River Song” series 1-3 for 50% off, at the Weekly Deals page.
Big Finish’s schedule of free lockdownload stories has been extended to run until the end of June, after which there will be a new program of free downloads over the coming months.
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